Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

ArchiveArticles

social-media-and-digital-online-concept-woman-using-smart-phone-the-concept-of-living-on-vacation-and-playing-social-media-social-distancing-working-from-home-concept-stockpack-adobe-stock
Social media and digital online concept, woman using smart phone. The concept of living on vacation and playing social media. Social Distancing ,Working From Home concept.

The Atlantic Warns of Smartphones in Schools. But Is Anyone Listening?

While word is getting out, there's still a long ways to go.

This week, we ran a post covering a new public policy brief from the Institute for Family Studies and the Ethics and Public Policy Center. The brief conclusively demonstrated the tangible harms involved in exposing kids to the online world before they’re ready. The researchers concluded, in addition, that parents should not give their children digital devices. The stakes are too high, from increased risk of mental health disorders to learning impairments. Such warnings have been increasing over the past few years, thanks in large part to the in-depth research of people like Jonathan Haidt and Jean Twenge. The Atlantic published an article today on how smartphones are hurting kids’ cognitive and learning capacities. Derek Thompson writes, Researchers such as Read More ›

chatbot-social-bot-smartphone-und-chatverlauf-stockpack-adobe-stock
Chatbot / Social Bot, Smartphone und Chatverlauf

How Do We Define Successful Use Cases for Generative AI?

Current generative AI systems are designed to give us the most common solutions, instead of the new ones we need.
Evidence that existing ideas aren’t so good can be seen in the big startup losses, slow diffusion of technology, and slow rate of productivity improvement. Read More ›
aerial-view-of-coal-power-plant-high-pipes-with-black-smoke-moving-up-polluting-atmosphere-at-sunset-stockpack-adobe-stock
Aerial view of coal power plant high pipes with black smoke moving up polluting atmosphere at sunset.

Medical Journal Crosses a Whole New Line

Is blaming commercialism for global warming genuine science? Or just ideology?
The Lancet needs to go back to being a medical journal rather than a propaganda outlet for progressive politics. Read More ›
outer-space-background-stockpack-adobe-stock
Outer space background

Alien 3 Review, Part 1

How to destroy a franchise in seven minutes

No sense in burying the lead. This one is awful. But it’s important to understand how and why it’s awful. Alien 3 manages to destroy the entire franchise with remarkable speed. I’ll explain how, as the reviews go on. We start off with a credit sequence, and already things feel off. Ripley and the surviving members of the previous film are still in their cryobeds, but something else is aboard the ship as well: an alien egg. This egg is seen hanging upside down, almost at eye level. Already, we have a plethora of problems, so let’s dive in, shall we? The previous movie, Aliens, established that it takes a queen to lay these eggs. Now, we don’t know exactly Read More ›

suggestion-and-feedback-sharing-for-improvement-listen-to-team-feedback-to-improve-work-efficiency-team-communication-skill-engagement-idea-sharing-open-mind-customer-feedback-and-consulting-stockpack-adobe-stock
Suggestion and feedback sharing for improvement. Listen to team feedback to improve work efficiency. Team communication skill, engagement, idea sharing, open mind, customer feedback and consulting.

Substack Gets It. AI Can’t Replace Human Writers

It was encouraging to see the up-and-coming writing platform boldly herald the uniqueness of human creativity.
So long as there are human beings around, there will always be a need for human writers. Read More ›
a-meteor-streaks-across-the-milky-way-during-the-perseid-meteor-shower-of-2016-stockpack-adobe-stock
A meteor streaks across the Milky Way during the Perseid meteor shower of 2016.

Science Needs a Mind to Work

The use of science to discredit the existence of mental subjects is fatally flawed.
The idea that science has somehow shown the irrelevance of the mind to explaining behavior is seriously confused. Read More ›
coding-hologram-ai-programming-and-dark-background-with-chat-machine-large-language-model-or-app-big-data-cloud-computing-and-artificial-intelligence-software-on-live-web-in-technology-abstract-stockpack-adobe-stock
Coding hologram, ai programming and dark background with chat machine, large language model or app. Big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence software on live web in technology abstract

Large Language Models are Still Smoke and Mirrors

Incapable of understanding, LLMs are good at giving bloated answers.

I recently received an email invitation from Google to try Gemini Pro in Bard. There was an accompanying video demonstration of Bard’s powers, which I didn’t bother watching because of reports that a Gemini promotional video released a few days earlier had been faked. After TED organizer Chris Anderson watched the video, he tweeted, “I can’t stop thinking about the implications of this demo. Surely it’s not crazy to think that sometime next year, a fledgling Gemini 2.0 could attend a board meeting, read the briefing docs, look at the slides, listen to every one’s words, and make intelligent contributions to the issues debated? Now tell me. Wouldn’t that count as AGI?” Legendary software engineer Grady Booch replied, “That demo Read More ›

press-and-media-camera-video-photographer-on-duty-in-public-new-stockpack-adobe-stock
press and media camera ,video photographer on duty in public new

How Bottom Up Media Now Threaten the Traditional Top Tier

New media resources like subscription-based Substack are rapidly becoming the venue of choice for whistleblowers with stories to break
The rise and fall of intellectual movements may well now depend on their ability to use new media successfully to express their views. Read More ›
cute-artificial-intelligence-robot-with-notebook-stockpack-adobe-stock
cute artificial intelligence robot with notebook

Psychology Researchers: AI Showed Imitation, Not Innovation

Testing children and adults against chatbots, the researchers found that the chatbots could match things up but struggled to solve problems on their own
As computer engineering prof Robert J. Marks puts it, AI is no more creative than a pencil. You can use it like a pencil — but the creativity comes from you. Read More ›
psychology-concept-sunrise-and-woman-silhouette-stockpack-adobe-stock
Psychology concept. Sunrise and woman silhouette.

If Science Doesn’t Support Dualism — Well, It Should

At Big Think, Kmele Foster interviews five figures in consciousness studies. Not one is a dualist but a listener may come away with a new appreciation for dualism
Dualism — human consciousness is real, immaterial, and special — is the only approach to consciousness that accords with the evidence. Read More ›
young-freelancer-working-with-laptop-at-home-side-view-of-male-working-on-freelance-at-home-office-stockpack-adobe-stock
Young freelancer working with laptop at home. Side view of male working on freelance at home office.

How Bottom Up Media Are Slowly Replacing Top Down Media

The decline and death of legacy media organizations is speeding up and the media replacing them are much smaller, more numerous and more independent
A key problem: The legacy media that cling to government and corporate interests in order to survive have so much less use now for freedom of the press. Read More ›
teenage-boy-in-a-bedroom-listening-to-music-through-his-smartphone-stockpack-adobe-stock
Teenage boy in a bedroom listening to music through his smartphone

New Report: Parents, Don’t Give Your Kids Smartphones

This has become a national health crisis.
Haidt writes in The Atlantic that smartphones ought to be banned from schools because "they impede learning, stunt relationships, and lessen belonging." Read More ›
laptop-illustration-with-file-drawer-data-stores-concept-blue-background-generative-ai-stockpack-adobe-stock
Laptop illustration with file drawer, data stores concept, blue background. Generative AI

AI and the Chinese Room Argument

We still haven't cracked the mystery of human intelligence.
80 years later, we are using the same paradigm, with much faster computers and vast data but we still haven't cracked the mystery of human intelligence. Read More ›
brain-activity-stockpack-adobe-stock
Brain activity

Philip Goff’s “Why” and Inflated Success

We are still nowhere closer to arriving at a science of consciousness
There’s little of substance favoring this new theory of consciousness. We still need something like a god piloting the universe.  Read More ›
two-chimpanzees-have-a-fun-stockpack-adobe-stock
Two chimpanzees have a fun.

Why Does the Proposal for Chimp–Human Hybrids Keep Coming Back?

From David Barash’s perspective, the humanzee’s suffering is rendered worthwhile precisely because it enables the denigration of other human beings
Physicist Rob Sheldon warns, when ridiculous inhumane ideas are routinely aired, we become more willing to accept inhumane ideas that are in fact quite viable. Read More ›
light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-with-silhouette-of-man-stockpack-adobe-stock
light at the end of the tunnel with silhouette of man

Gary Habermas on Near-Death Experiences

What is the evidence and how many reports of this phenomenon do we have?
The film, and this entire area of study, seeks to take a scientific approach to NDEs without prior religious assumptions about the existence of the afterlife. Read More ›
realistic-render-of-the-earth-seen-from-spacevisible-lights-of-european-cities-at-nightelements-of-this-image-furnished-by-nasa-3d-rendering-stockpack-adobe-stock
realistic render of the earth seen from space,visible lights of European cities at night.Elements of this image furnished by NASA. 3d rendering

Aliens Review, Part 1

I found Alien to be tolerable, but not worth the hype. So, who’s to say if the second movie will be any better?

Editor’s note: Parts one and two of this series have already been published here and here. The editor apologizes for the oversight and hopes you will enjoy this initial review and read the attending reviews as well. The first Alien film is considered a sci-fi classic, and Aliens, the sequel, is widely regarded as the best movie in the series. But personally, I found Alien to be tolerable, but not worth the hype. So, who’s to say if the second movie will be any better? It starts out with Ripley being found by a scavenger ship, where she is quickly taken back to earth and awakened from her cryosleep. Right away, we have a problem. One of “The Cooperation’s” big Read More ›

1950s-computer-stockpack-adobe-stock
1950's COMPUTER

The Present Shock We’re Experiencing

Our modern obsession with the possibility of truly smart machinery keeps a self-important anti-humanism alive and kicking.
It’s downright bizarre to view Big Data as a replacement for human ingenuity and possibility. Read More ›
man-and-his-virtual-personality-background-with-selective-focus-and-copy-space-stockpack-adobe-stock
Man and his virtual personality. Background with selective focus and copy space

Who Has Time To Watch All That AI Can Create?

New technologies put deceased icons in direct competition with current actors and entertainers
Actors and entertainers might be needed much less — only to generate a new idea that can then be tweaked and replicated by ever-smaller studios. Read More ›
closeup-shot-of-flint-tools-in-finders-hand-stockpack-adobe-stock
Closeup shot of flint tools in finders hand

Researchers: Early Humans Chose Their Toolmaking Rocks With Care

Different types of flint were useful for different purposes 70,000 to 30,000 years ago
Ancient humans calculated how much time and trouble went into a specific tool, in relation to its use — much as we do today. Read More ›